8 Steps You Can Follow to Stick With Your Resolutions

posted on December 31, 2016

I know a lot of people are not keen on new year’s resolutions. Some feel it’s too played out and no one really sticks to their resolutions anyway. I personally love the new year and resolutions. It shows me people have the will, the want and the desire. It proves that people want positive change in their lives and I wholeheartedly respect and admire that. It’s not easy to be aware of the changes that need to be made in your life. It’s not easy to face yourself and hold yourself accountable. That is the hard part after all.

The main reason why we don’t stick with our resolutions, myself included, is because mid way through we get stuck and we lose ourselves. Frustration sets in. We set these extremely high expectations on ourselves, on our bodies, and when we don’t see results or changes by February, we give up. We are a very impatient world. We are so used to fast pace and quick fixes.

If you want to heal, if you want to better yourself, whether it be physically or mentally, it takes time. This is no easy task and that’s why 95% of resolutions never make it to fruition.

Here Are 8 Steps You Can Follow To Stick With Your Resolutions For Good

1. Don’t set unrealistic goals. If you want to lose 50 pounds, aim to lose a pound a week. Say to yourself, “I will lose a pound a week” and if you lose more hey, that’s great. But if you lose only a pound then you reached your goal for that week. Think of it this way, there are 52 weeks in a year, if you lose a pound a week in one year you will have lost 52 pounds. And by doing it slow and steady you will most likely keep it off for good. Trying to lose 50 pounds in two months will lead you down a road of binge eating and self sabotage. It never works out. Just ask me and also the millions of other people who’ve tried to do the same. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

2. Get Physical. Being active does not mean you have to hit the gym 6 days a week. Exercise in a way that makes you happy not what the latest trend is. If you hate the treadmill that’s fine, go walking. If you hate walking, take a yoga class, a spin class, a dance class, or any class that you may fancy. Workout at home if you’re more comfortable. Use water bottles as mini weights. There are a ton of ways to move your body. Stretching and moving will not only help you physically but it will give you mental clarity as well. You’ll be using your body to impact your mind. Exercise removes negative energy from our systems and brings in more positive, loving vibes. Your mood will be better. But again this doesn’t happen after just one workout, you have to continuously do it. Make it a practice.

3. Drink Water. This is an obvious one and I’m sure one you’re already thinking to yourself “Ugh I know this already”. Well OK good if you know this already then do it! Drink at least 128 ounces of water of day. To keep your system clean and have your organs function properly, you need to be flushing them out of the toxins they store so water is your bestest friend. The earth is 70% made up of water, our bodies are the exact same thing. Hydrate yourself. If you get bored with water, spruce it up by infusing it with fruits. Coconut water is great too. My favorite is Taste Nirvana Real Coconut Water.

4. Don’t Diet, Change Your Lifestyle. If you eat highly processed foods, gear more towards real, wholefoods. If you drive everywhere, start walking to places you can get to by foot. Don’t put restrictions on yourself. By putting restrictions on yourself you will lead yourself to become obsessive. This is about the whole you not just a part of you. Your body is just a part of you, you have to change your mindset too. Being healthy mentally will give you balance. Diets are trends, they come and go, your lifestyle well, it’s how you choose to live your life and you can choose to take care of yourself or you can choose not to. Point is you have a choice. The obvious choice is to take care of you. It’s like I always say “Being healthy isn’t a style or trend, it’s just life and we all deserve that”.

5. Know and Accept That You Are Not Perfect. Being perfect should not ever be your goal. You will never be perfect because you’re already perfectly you. You will fall but it’s either you stay down or get back up and keep going. We all have our days. Striving for perfection is an illusion just like fear, it doesn’t exist unless we allow it to. What is perfect? People who are rich commit suicide, people who have a roof over their heads and food to eat always want more and nothing is ever good enough. It’s like Instagram followers, You can get to 1 million but it still won’t be enough, you’ll always want more. I’m not saying you have to settle, that’s not what I’m saying by any means, I’m just saying learn to accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what can be.

6. Start Journaling. Journaling is extremely useful and beneficial for so many reasons. One, you can journal to just document your day. You can use journaling as a way of releasing pent up negative energy. By putting it down on paper you’re releasing it into the universe and letting go. By doing this you won’t be attracting negative vibes your way, you’re simply letting them go and opening yourself up to be a clear vessel of pure love and light. A channel for more of you, your soul to fill your body thus attracting more abundance in your life. It’s energy, it’s always moving unless it’s stuck. Writing it down removes blockages that may be holding you back. It’s a tool I once found tedious but now am rigorous about as it helps me hold myself accountable and helps free me of my constant worry and anxieties.

7. Read books on topics that inspire you. If you’re not a big reader you should become one. Reading not only teaches you things but it also opens up your mind and gets your brain thinking. You use your imagination. It’s like cardio, lifting, and eating healthy for the brain. Workout your brain! Exercise your mind! Learning is the key to any all success. Knowledge is powerful and just as they said it in Spider-Man 3, should always be used for the good of mankind.

8. Meditate. You do not have to be a professional meditator or yoga instructor to meditate. You don’t need a special room, special chair, candles, malas, or chants or mantras. You can sit on your bathroom floor for 5 minutes and meditate if need be. I usually lay on my bed as I find it most comfortable. There are things you can do to make it more intimate like lighting candles but again, those things are not needed. Meditation is the practice of being in a state of thoughtless awareness. You take an allotted amount of time out of your day to sit quietly and be the observer to your life. You are quieting the mind and allowing room for new ideas, insights, answers, and relaxation. This has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression. It can help you in your working life even if you start with just 5 minutes a day and work your way up to 20. You can download apps that will assist you if you are new and curious as how to start. Here are some of my favorites: Insight Timer, Omvana, and Calm.

And as a bonus don’t forget to BREATHE! Get that oxygen circulating through your body. It is life.

These are tools that have helped me and continue to help me. I plan on utilizing these tools for myself in 2017. I have goals, I have things I want to do, fears that need to be faced. I’m tired of waiting for things to happen. I’m tired of looking back and thinking, “I could of been there already”. I’m tired of not following through and being there for myself. This year I’m here, I’m present and I will achieve my goals. Remember small steps always lead to big changes.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and safe New Year. 2017 I hope you’re ready for us, we are forces to be reckoned with.